biography

Okay, wow! I have just been nominated for the Liebster award by the wonderful Elizabeth at http://teandpaper.com/ You must pop over there! I drop in and browse around and love the honest thoughts and beautiful pictures that get posted. Say hi, okay?

This is so cool!

1) First, you include a link back to the post or blog of the person who nominated you and you thank them because manners are everything!
2) Include 11 facts about yourself.
3) Answer the 11 questions that the blogger who nominated posted.
4) Post 11 more questions for your nominees to answer.
5) Nominate 11 bloggers that have less than 200 followers.

The purpose of this award is to spread some love to the nominees and increase awareness of their blog.

1 I am a total book nut. I once removed over 200 books from a bookshelf in my old house, and you couldn’t see the difference. Two thirds of my loft space contains my library, as I don’t have a bookcase anymore. But I have a kindle fit to burst!

2 I am very, very Romantic in the proper sense of the word, not the vomit sense of the word.

3 I believe in True Love, because I have it. When anyone says ‘How do you know?’ I simply tell them, it’s easy. The feeling in your heart is totally different to anything you have ever felt before in your life. It is overwhelming, all encompassing.

4 I believe in the fundamental interconnectedness of things and reverse causality: the future creates the past. That way, everything has a reason and is leading us to a destiny. No, I’m not hedging my bets! lol

5 Doctor Who rocks, classic and new. Come on, people! 50 years of the same show, with none of the original cast at all and stronger than it’s ever been? You know it makes sense!

6 I have a garden which is in the throes / thrashes of total change. It will look good when it’s finished, honest!

7 I dug a 7000 litre pond and filled it with Koi fish, (young ones!), for my wife because she was really ill with a tumour and wanted to cheer her up. Tumour has gone and the fish are now quite large! I’m happy!

8 I grew up in a very poor seaside town called Ilfracombe. It was very popular with the Victorians, but then so was Syphilis. (No,I’m not impressed with my home town!!)

9 Did I mention I love my wife more than anything in the world?

10 I met Palden Gyatso (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palden_Gyatso) when I was doing my B.Ed / Music degree. Brought me to tears. Such a beautiful soul and so wise: he radiated peace and tranquillity like I have never known. So honoured to have been blessed by him. Wow.

11 Thirteen is my lucky number. My childhood home was number 13. For some reason, the terrace we lived on omitted number 14, but kept 13. So it numbered 11,12,13,15! That’s Ilfracombe for you!

Now answer the following questions…

1. Why do you blog?

Ah, easy one this: I blog because I cannot have any more pieces of A4 scattered around my home in a myriad of folders, boxes and carrier bags. I have written stories, poems, ideas, plays, TV scripts since I could write, and I’ve kept all of them. Even the really embarrassing ones from teen years.

No, you will never see them.

2. What is the opinion of your family and/or friends about you blogging?

My wife encouraged me to do it. She’d seen me getting continually disheartened with rejection slips from publishers and agents, and wisely suggested that a blog would be a good thing for me. I’d already helped her set up her own, so it was a simple step to being here.

3. Which way do you express your creativity?

I have two mains ways I guess: writing and my music. I’m a guitar / clarinet / piano / bodhran -ist kind of guy, so I try to immerse my soul in music and express myself through my playing. Back in the day, I did have a gigging band, and that was cool.

I write, because if I don’t I feel I will simply die. My brain is stupidly full of characters, ideas, places, realms, pain, joy, suffering and exhilaration. I use paper, phone, post its, laptop, kindle… every one that has anything to do with me has something written by me on it!

(My garden looks nice too, so I guess that counts as well!)

4. Do you have a journal? If yes, since when?

Afraid not. I think, if I did one, it would be too dark and cynical. Which is ironic, considering how positive I am!!

5. Do you have plans to write a book one day?

Already done it. I’m on my fourth. No one’s bought them yet, but I am VERY available if you want me!

6. What is your favourite book?

Oy vey, only one?!?! Evil, nasty, vicious question!!! lol How about one in each genre?

One.

Really?!

Hmmm… It would have to be, currently, Ocean at the end or the lane by Neil Gaiman. It has just usurped The Call of Cthulhu by HP Lovecraft.

You know this is going to change again, you know that, right?!?! lol

7. Which place would you like to visit?

Anywhere, as long as my wife is beside me and the tea I drink is Yorkshire tea. This planet is a phenomenal place and is full of beauty. Heh, as long as there are very few people around, I’ll enjoy it!

8. Have you participated in online courses? if yes, which was your favourite?

I’ve done a few for work – DUUUULLLLLL!!!! Best one : Blogging 201, WordPress. Turned my blog around and made it… well, rather lovely!

9. What is your favourite thing to do in a raining day?

I have a beautiful wife. Hold her hand, sip cups of tea and dream of our Country Cottage. (I’m a country boy at heart, not a townie!)

10. Do you blog in your free time, or bloging is the priority in our day?

I’m a free time blogger – well, when I can find the time that is through work!

11. Which advice you would give for who is starting to blog now?

I would say do not be shy, but neither be overbearing or rude.

Politeness and honesty out here is important, as your blog is you for the world to see.

Well, that’s me done!

Now these are my questions:

1) How do you spend your free time?

2) Favourite place to relax?

3) Smell that reminds you of something, and why?

4) Favourite books? Notice books, not just one!!

5) Favourite album?

6) Any tips on blogging?

7) What prompted you to start you blog in the first place?

8) What would you like your blog to become?

9) In five years time, where would you like see yourself?

10) What three things would you take if you were stranded on a desert island? Sadly, no mobile signal! 😦

11) What is the most over used word you have come across?

My Nominees will be on their way very soon – as soon as I can find eleven blogs I follow with less than 200 followers. I just checked my regular ones and they seem to be all in the hundreds!

I’ll finish work tonight and search like a crazy man!

Be seeing you!

UPDATE:

Here are my blogs – I hope I counted properly… apologies if I’ve made an error on your followers – it’s not easy to spot! I read these via phone and tablet and they always make me smile for their diversity and intelligence, wisdom and passion. Very cool!

I can find eight blogs that I think fit the criteria – all the others I follow seem to be in the thousands!! Doh!

Ah, the age old question! Well: I’m just a guy who loves a girl and finds himself fortunate enough to call her his wife.

I have far too many principles than could be good for anyone in this day and age, so often find myself falling down into the enormous crack between idealism and idleness. The human tendency for inertia is immense, which is quite ironic when you consider the principles involved in inertia. Well, if you can be bothered to consider them, that is…

I’m fairly new to the Blogosphere, so am a little at odds and ends when it comes to not only the sheer volume of material that is out there to read and appreciate, but the variety that it contains – it’s like the melting pot of the human mind and I can lose hours just surfing and absorbing – ’tis a cool and amazing thing!!

So, you can imagine my own amazement and joy when I discovered that I have been nominated as an inspiring blogger by the wonderful Marisa D. Lyon at http://fate423.wordpress.com! Me!! Eek! All I can say is a mahoosive thank you reading and secondly enjoying the little tidbits I pop out here infrequently.

I wish I could find the time to create more for out here, as I am a complete book nut and love writing. The only trouble is my job – of which more later! – more than impinges on my recreational time and by the time I’m through with it, I’ve barely gotten the strength to make a cup of tea, let alone create volumes of prose!

So here is my first ever award!

I think I might need to redecorate a little in here to accommodate it more effectively – my wife is the designer, I’m the go-fer!

Now, the rules for this award are as follows:

~Display the award logo. Mmmm, preettyyy…

~Link back to the person who nominated you (The AMAZING Marisa D Lyon – seriously, read and enjoy – it’s varied, interesting and great to think about. I like that! )

~ State seven things about yourself. You mean, polite things?!?

~Nominate 15 other bloggers for this award and link to them (I’ll do what I can and may well add to this list as I discover more – quality over quantity, people!)

Well, here are my seven things…

1) I am married to the most amazingly talented woman in the world – (Bias is not a word in my dictionary! lol) – who I have the fortune to not only call my best friend, also work with and get to take home every night. This is pure joy and no mistake for both of us. I realise that the whole idea of working with / living with the same person every day might drive a few people into Cabin Fever territory, but it suits us down to the ground and back up again. True Love is what we call it, for neither one of us have felt such a connection in anyone we have know before, only one another. We even had a Vintage Goth wedding in Black and Red at a local Mansion house. Second best day of my life, next to meeting my beautiful Helen. She also makes the most stunning Artist Teddy bears: http://buttonmeadowbears.wix.com/buttonmeadowbears Prepare to go ahhh!!

2) I am a musician, lapsed.

Which sucks in actual fact, but time will come around again when I will be able to play more to satisfy my creative Soul. I play the clarinet, piano, bodhran, guitar (acoustic / electric) and can sing pretty decent harmony vox. I’ve always been into music, ever since I was about three or four. In point of fact, I used to be lulled asleep, if that is the correct word, by the sounds of a 33 1/3 LP playing ‘American Patrol’ by Glenn Miller. It was on a portable record player, the kind that smells like vinyl used to and could stack discs up ten high like pancakes you see in the movies. I took up the clarinet at the age of 8 1/2, and got my grade 5 by the time I was 11 years old. Then I got bored, ditched it, took up the piano, then slid inexorably into rock and roll oblivion with the discovery of the electric guitar and 70’s classic rock / 80’s heavy metal. Yes, I could shred…and my hair proved it!!

There’s something unmistakably cool about being in a band when everything syncs in with one another and you are lost in the music…

3) I also write.

Well, duh, this is a blog after all, but yes, I write. I am fascinated to the daftest degree with the nuances of language and the semantics it throws up. I’d love to get some time to do my Masters degree and study Language / Literature more deeply than I can glean from meaningful book-worming.

I have written TV scripts (nearly broadcast – Dr Who, mid 80’s, just before it was cancelled – talk about timing!)

I have written plays (fringe theatre, not pretty!)

I have written novels (Farming out to agents and just waiting for rejection letter 2000 to drop on the mat!)

I have written poetry (On the kindle scheme: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Step-Parent-Poetry-ebook/dp/B00906RJFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363902708&sr=8-1 Go on, have a look!)

4) I am a teacher, and spend my life caring for other people’s children in a vain attempt to make this world a better place by instilling in them a love for life and the joy of thinking and exploring. That’s also where I met my wife!

5) I loathe living in the city and if I could escape back to the countryside where I belong, both my lovely wife and I would be over-the-moon happy!

6) I love the outdoors and garden whenever possible. I just need a plot of land about 10-12 acres wide to create the garden of my Wife’s dreams and then open it to the National Garden Scheme. From there, I will design gardens for the Chelsea flower show and then outstrip Jekka McVicar for the number of gold medals won. (Shyeah, right!)

7) I live in England, in a city called Plymouth. It’s where the Pilgrim Fathers went for a sail one Sunday and got a bit lost!

15 Blogs will be on their way – My sugar level is loooww and I need to sleep!